In-Demand Skills
Ontario In-Demand Skills is one of the Employer Job Offer streams of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Ontario. In-Demand Skills targets foreign nationals who have work experience in one of the province’s in-demand occupations, obtained within Ontario, and who possess a valid job offer from an Ontario employer.
Candidates who are successfully nominated through the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream will be invited to submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Express Entry Profile | No |
| Connection to Province | Work Experience |
| Job Offer | Yes |
| Language Proficiency | CLB 4 |
| Level of Education | High school |
| Work Experience | In-Demand Occupation List 1 year |
| Investment Requirement | None |
Applicant Requirements
Job Offer
In order to qualify for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream, a foreign national must have a valid job offer from an Ontario employer. The job offer must be for a full-time position, paid at or above the median wage level for that occupation in Ontario. The position must be in one of the OINP In-Demand Occupations.
Language Proficiency
The In-Demand Skills stream requires a minimum language proficiency score, in either English or French, consistent with the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4.
Level of Education
All applicants to this stream must have completed an educational credential equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma or higher.
Work Experience
Any person applying to OINP In-Demand Skills must have a cumulative amount of at least 1 year of full-time work experience obtained within the previous 3 years. This work experience must have been obtained in Ontario and be in the same in-demand NOC code as the occupation listed on their Ontario job offer.
Licence
If a position requires a licence to practice in Ontario, then the applicant must hold the valid licence, certificate, or authorization to practice the profession as indicated on their Ontario job offer. The licence must have been issued by an eligible regulatory body in Ontario.
Settlement Funds
All candidates for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream must meet the settlement funds requirement as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This can be demonstrated through the candidate’s own finances, through maintaining a valid offer of employment with annual compensation that meets the minimum settlement funds requirement, or through some combination of the two.
Intention to Reside
All applicants to the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) must prove their intention to reside in the province. This can be shown through connections to the province (relatives, past education, etc.), investment in the province (purchase of property), or efforts to participate in Ontario society (volunteering, work experience, etc.).
Employer Requirements
In order for an applicant to apply to the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream, they must have a valid job offer from an eligible Ontario employer.
Job Offer Requirements
The employer must offer a full-time, indeterminate position with a wage that meets industry standards.
Business Requirements
The business must be established and in good standing in Ontario with a history of good workplace and business practices. The business must also meet minimum gross annual revenue and employee requirements:
- Inside of the Greater Toronto Area: A minimum of $1 million CAD in gross annual revenue, and; At least five full-time employees.
- Outside of the Greater Toronto Area: A minimum of $500,000 CAD in gross annual revenue, and; At least three full-time employees.
Recruitment Requirements
The employer must demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to recruit a Canadian to fill the position prior to offering the position to a foreign national unless the foreign national already has authorization to work in Ontario.
Did you know?
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA): If an LMIA is necessary for the work permit of the foreign national then a copy of the positive LMIA must be included with the application.
Eligible Occupations - OINP In-Demand List
The following occupations, sorted by National Occupation Classification Code (NOC code), are eligible for the Ontario In-Demand Skills stream:
| NOC Code | Job Title |
|---|---|
| NOC 3413 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| NOC 4412 | Home support workers and related occupations, excluding housekeepers |
| NOC 7441 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| NOC 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| NOC 7521 | Heavy equipment operators (except crane) |
| NOC 7611 | Construction trades helpers and labourers |
| NOC 8431 | General farm workers |
| NOC 8432 | Nursery and greenhouse workers |
| NOC 8611 | Harvesting labourers |
| NOC 9462 | Industrial butchers, meat cutters, poultry preparers, related workers |
Application Procedure
Eligible applicants can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through OINP’s e-Filing Portal for the chance to be invited to apply for nomination. Profiles are ranked on an OINP points-based system. The highest-ranking candidates will be issued an invitation to apply in one of the OINP draws.
Once an invitation is received, the applicant has 14 calendar days to apply for nomination.
If the province approves the application, Ontario will notify the applicant they have been selected for provincial nomination. This notification will be sent to the applicant’s ONe-Key account within the e-Filing Portal.
After receiving a provincial nomination, an applicant must submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants in this program must complete and submit a paper-based application for permanent residence and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.
Ontario Employer Job Offer: In-Demand Stream Ranking System
| Factor | Maximum Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Job offer | NOC skill level | 10 |
| NOC type | 10 | |
| Wage | 10 | |
| Canadian Work Experience | Length | 4 |
| NOC skill level | 3 | |
| Earnings history | 3 | |
| Regional Immigration | Location of job offer | 10 |
| Strategic Prorities | Ontario may award additional points to address labour market needs as required | 10 |
| Total Available Points | 60 | |
Ontario Employer Job Offer In-Demand Skills Stream - Recent Draws & Invitation History
Below is the information regarding recent Ontario Employer Job Offer draws under the In-Demand Skills category.
| Date of draw | Number of invitations issued | Date profile created | Minimum score | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 15, 2023 | 256 | November 22, 2022 – August 15, 2023 | 23 and above | General Draw |
| June 20, 2023 | 256 | November 22, 2022 – June 20, 2023 | 26 and above | General draw |
| April 11, 2023 | 295 | November 22, 2022 – April 11, 2023 | 30 and above | General draw |
| 29 June 2022 | 293 | June 29, 2021 – June 29, 2022 | 24 | General draw |
| 4 May 2022 | 57 | May 4, 2021 – May 4, 2022 | 27 | General draw |
| 30 March 2022 | 65 | April 28, 2021 – March 30, 2022 | 21 | Select health, manufacturing, select trades, and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 9 February 2022 | 107 | April 28, 2021 – February 9, 2022 | 15 | Select health, manufacturing, select trades, and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 11 January 2022 | 58 | April 28, 2021 – January 11, 2022 | 11 | Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 7 December 2021 | 53 | April 28, 2021 – December 7, 2021 | 20 | Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 7 December 2021 | 10 | April 28, 2021 – December 7, 2021 | N/A | Regional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted |
| 22 September 2021 | 65 | April 28, 2021 – September 22, 2021 | N/A | Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 22 September 2021 | 7 | April 28, 2021 – September 22, 2021 | N/A | Regional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted |
| 11 August 2021 | 48 | April 28, 2021 – August 11, 2021 | N/A | Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 15 July 2021 | 54 | April 28, 2021 – July 15, 2021 | N/A | Select health, manufacturing and agricultural occupations targeted |
| 15 July 2021 | 1 | April 28, 2021 – July 15, 2021 | N/A | Regional Immigration Pilot candidates targeted |
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